Additional information:

Carolina wren

Thryothorus ludovicianus

What do they look like?

Carolina wrens are small birds (though they larger than most wrens). They weigh about 20 g and are 12 to 14 cm long. Carolina wrens have a rusty-brown back and a lighter cinnamon-colored underside. Their throat and chin are white, and their wings and tail are brown with very fine black stripes. Carolina wrens also have a broad white stripe above each eye, which makes them easy to identify from other wrens. Carolina wrens have long, thin bills that curve downward. The top part of the bill (called the upper mandible) is dark, and the bottom part of the bill (called the lower mandible) is light-yellow. Carolina wrens have pink legs and long tails.

Where do they live?

Carolina wrens are year-round residents of the southeastern United States. They are found from the Atlantic seashore to as far west as Texas, Nebraska, Kansas and eastern Oklahoma. They are found as far north as southern Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, and Ontario Canada. This species is also found in the northeast corner of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, as well in a few spots in Central America. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 1999; Haggerty and Morton, 1995)

What kind of habitat do they need?

Carolina wrens can live in many different types of habitats. They prefer wooded areas that are moist rather than dry. They also need dense shrubs or brush for hiding and feeding. Some of the habitats where you might find Carolina wrens include wooded areas along streams and swamps, in thickets and shrubbery, in piles of logs or decaying wood, farmyards, forests, suburban gardens, live oak and palmetto hummocks, isolated clumps of trees in prairies, and old sheds. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 1999; Haggerty and Morton, 1995; Hill Collins, Jr. and Boyajian, 1965)

How do they reproduce?

Carolina wrens are monogamous. Males and females form breeding pairs that remain together for many years. Male Carolina wrens try to attract a mate by performing courtship displays for her. They may hop around the female in a circle while puffing out their feathers and fanning their tail. They may also bring food to a female to try to attract her. This is called courtship feeding. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 1999; Haggerty and Morton, 1995; Hill Collins, Jr. and Boyajian, 1965)

Carolina wrens breed between March and October. The male and female work together to build a nest. The nest is built in the mornings, and takes up to a week to build. Carolina wrens will build their nests in a wide variety of sites. These include upturned roots, tree stumps, vine tangles, conifer branches, overhangs, abandoned woodpecker holes, boxes, tin cans, old shoes, mailboxes, old articles of clothing and furniture, window sills and coffee pots. The nests are usually built of twigs, grasses, weeds, leaves, mosses, pine needles, bits of bark and found objects such as hair, string, feathers, etc. The average nest is 8 to 23 cm long and 8 to 15 cm wide. Nests are usually less than 1.8 m above the ground. Each nest is only used once.

Females lay 3 to 7 (average 4) eggs. One egg is laid each day in the early morning. The eggs are light cream to pinkish-white with dark spots near the ends. They are oval shaped and about 18 mm long. Females can begin laying eggs as early as March in southern populations and as early as April in northern populations. Carolina wrens nesting in the northern part of the range generally raise two broods per year, while pairs in the souther part of the range can raise up to three broods.

The female incubates the eggs for 12 to 16 days. Meanwhile, the male spends his time gathering food and delivering it to the female. When the chicks hatch, they are helpless. They have closed eyes (which open after three days), pale gray down, translucent pink skin and a yellow bill.

The female broods the chicks for the first four days after hatching. This protects them and keeps them warm. After four days, the female broods the chicks mostly at night. Both parents feed the chicks butterfly and moth larvae, crickets, grasshoppers and beetles.

How long do they live?

How do they behave?

Carolina wrens are diurnal (active during the day). They stay in the same area all year and do not migrate. They use calls and songs to defend a territory year-round.

Carolina wrens are mostly terrestrial. They spend most of their time on the ground, hopping around. They are able to fly, but usually do not fly very far. Instead, they use their wings to help them hop over tall objects.

Home Range

One study in Alabama estimated the average home range of Carolina wrens to be 0.007 square kilometers. (Haggerty and Morton, 1995)

How do they communicate with each other?

Carolina wrens communicate using body signals and calls and songs. For example, Carolina wrens may use body signals to threaten another wren that enters their territory. To do this, a Carolina wren will hold their wings out, fan their tail and point their bill at the intruder.

Carolina wrens' songs are loud and high pitched. They sound like TEA-kettle, TWEEdle, SWEETheart, CHE-wortle, or CHOO-wee. Females are able to make sounds, but only males are able to make songs. The sounds and songs are used in many different situations. For examples, Carolina wrens may call or sing when they threaten a predator or another wren, while defending their territory, or to signal distress. Carolina wrens sing and call year-round. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 1999; Haggerty and Morton, 1995; Hill Collins, Jr. and Boyajian, 1965; Sauer, 1997)

What do they eat?

Carolina wrens are insectivores. They eat many different insects and spiders. They feed mostly on the ground, and seem to eat whatever they insects and spiders they find. Carolina wrens search for food by using their bills to move brush and vegetation, to search under brush piles, in decaying logs and trees, under tree bark, and around the banks of swamps. As ground feeders, Carolina wrens have trouble surviving long winters with a lot of snow. During harsh winters, Carolina wrens depend on bird feeders for food.

What roles do they have in the ecosystem?

Carolina wrens affect the populations of the insects and spiders they eat, and provide valuable food for their predators. They compete with other cavity-nesting species for nest sites. They also provide habitat for various parasites, including mites, lice, ticks, and blowfly larvae. (Haggerty and Morton, 1995)

Commensal or parasitic species (or larger taxonomic groups) that use this species as a host

Do they cause problems?

There are no known negative effects of Carolina wrens on humans.

How do they interact with us?

We do not know of any way in which Carolina wrens affect humans.

Are they endangered?

Carolina wrens are very adaptable and are able to live in many different habitats. This ability has helped Carolina wrens to remain common and widespread. There are about 17,000,000 Carolina wrens in the world.

Humans do help Carolina wrens in the northern part of their range where harsh winters can kill a lot of birds. In northern areas, people build nest boxes that the wrens can use for roosting and nesting. (Haggerty and Morton, 1995)